Drinking Straw Wrapper

ABSTRACT

A wrapper for a drinking straw is longer than the length of the drinking straw. The additional margin beyond the length of the drinking straw forms a grip portion of the wrapper. The grip portion is separable from the remainder of the wrapper. Optionally, the wrapper may be perforated to separate the grip portion from the remainder of the wrapper. A grip piece is associated with the grip portion. The grip may, for example, be positioned inside or outside the grip portion, or may be integrally formed with the grip portion.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to drinking straw wrappers. More particularly, the present invention is a drinking straw wrapper that is longer than the drinking straw, with the additional grip portion of the wrapper associated with a grip piece to which longitudinal force may be applied to rupture the wrapper.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Drinking straws are fairly well-known and common objects. A drinking straw is a hollow tube through which fluid can be drawn. Drinking straws are typically individually wrapped when provided to a user for sanitary reasons. The wrappers may be formed from any of a variety of materials, such as paper or plastic.

One conventional way of opening a drinking straw wrapper is to tear the wrapper, usually using the fingers or the teeth. Another conventional way of opening a drinking straw wrapper takes advantage of the fact that the drinking straw slides within the wrapper. Because the drinking straw can slide within the wrapper, a user can grasp the wrapper and drive the drinking straw into a surface. The force on the drinking straw causes the drinking straw to slide within the wrapper and, if the force is properly translated to the drinking straw, drive the end of the drinking straw through the wrapper.

The disadvantage of conventional drinking straw wrappers is that the methods used to open the wrapper is unreliable and can lead to waste as drinking straws are bent or broken while opening the wrapper. Additionally, while the forces used to open conventional drinking straw wrappers may be withstood by plastic drinking straws, drinking straws made from more environmentally-friendly materials, such as paper, may not be able to withstand the forces used to open the wrapper.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a cover for a drinking straw. The drinking straw has a straw length along a longitudinal axis.

The cover includes a wrapper that substantially encloses the drinking straw.

The length of the wrapper is greater than the straw length to produce a grip portion of the wrapper.

A grip piece is associated with the grip portion of the wrapper. The grip piece and the grip portion of the wrapper are substantially coincident. In one optional embodiment, the grip piece is inside the grip portion of the wrapper. In another optional embodiment, the grip piece is outside the grip portion of the wrapper. In yet another optional embodiment, the grip piece is integrally formed with the grip portion of the wrapper.

The grip piece is separable from the drinking straw. In one optional embodiment, the grip piece is separate from the drinking straw. In another optional embodiment, the grip piece is attached to the drinking straw but separable from the drinking straw. Force applied to separate the grip piece from the drinking straw causes the wrapper to rupture. In an optional embodiment, the force is applied in opposite directions along the longitudinal axis to the grip piece and the drinking straw. In an optional embodiment, the wrapper includes perforations. Such perforations may be positioned on the wrapper so that rupture of the wrapper exposes at least a portion of the drinking straw.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a wrapper according to an optional embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a wrapper according to an optional embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a wrapper according to an optional embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a wrapper according to an optional embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION

Reference is now made to the figures wherein like parts are referred to by like numerals throughout. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention includes a wrapper 102 for a drinking straw 104. The drinking straw 104 may be any form of drinking straw 104. That is, the drinking straw 104 may be formed from any type of material (such as plastic, paper, or the like) and may have any features (such as corrugations allowing the straw to be bent). Stated differently, it is contemplated that the present wrapper 102 may be used (or adapted) to contain any type of drinking straw 104.

A conventional drinking straw 104 is a hollow tube with two ends. For purposes of describing the present invention, the distance of the drinking straw 104 between the two ends is referred to as the “straw length” 106 and the imaginary axis connecting the two ends along the straw length 106 is referred to as the “longitudinal axis” 108.

The length of the wrapper 102 is longer than straw length 106. The excess margin of the wrapper 102 over and beyond the straw length 106 forms a grip portion 110 of the wrapper 102. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the grip portion 110 of the wrapper 102 is removable from the remainder 116 of the wrapper 102.

A grip piece 112 is associated with the grip portion 110 of the wrapper 102. In one optional embodiment, the grip piece 112 is inside the wrapper 102. In alternate optional embodiments, the grip piece 112 may overlie the grip portion 110 of the wrapper 102 or be integrally formed with the grip portion 110 of the wrapper 102. In yet a further optional embodiment, the grip piece 112 may be attached to the grip portion 110 of the wrapper 102. In the optional embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, for example, the ends of the wrapper 102 may be closed using a crimp 302, heat seal, or the like. At the end of the wrapper 102 where the grip portion 110 is crimped, the grip piece 112 is crimped, heat sealed, or the like, into the crimp 302 of the grip portion 110 of the wrapper 102, such that the grip portion 110 of the wrapper 102 and the grip piece 112 are attached to one another.

In an optional embodiment, the grip piece 112 is formed from a material that is firmer than the wrapper 102. That is, in one optional embodiment, the wrapper 102 is formed from a paper or plastic sheet. In one such optional embodiment, the grip piece 112 is formed from plastic, paper, cardboard, or other material that is firmer and/or more rigid than the plastic sheet forming the wrapper 102. For example, in one optional embodiment, the grip piece 112 may be formed from the same material as the drinking straw 104. Thus, in one such example, the grip piece 112 is a hollow tube formed from the same material as the drinking straw 104, with the grip piece 112 positioned in the grip portion 110 of the wrapper 102 and the drinking straw 104 positioned in the remaining portion of the wrapper 102. In this regard, it is noted that the grip piece 112 may be connected to, or free from, the drinking straw 104. For example, the grip piece 112 may be attached to the drinking straw 104 with scoring or perforations capable of separating the grip piece 112 from the drinking straw 104 when used (as described in greater detail below). In another example, the grip piece 112 is unconnected to the drinking straw 104.

In an optional embodiment, the grip portion 110 may be delineated from the remaining portion of the wrapper 102 through a perforation 114 in the wrapper material. The perforation 114 may be formed in any manner. For example, in one optional embodiment, the perforation is a weak section of the wrapper 102. In another optional embodiment, the perforation is cut through the wrapper 102. In yet another optional embodiment, the perforation may include a tear strip that causes the wrapper to tear along the tear strip. In yet another optional embodiment, the grip portion 110 is separate from the remaining portion of the wrapper 102 and is held to the wrapper 102, such as through an adhesive, friction fit, fastener, or the like.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the grip portion 110 may overlap with the drinking straw 104 so that when the grip portion 110 is removed from the remainder 116 of the wrapper 102, an end of the drinking straw 104 is exposed. In alternate optional embodiments, the grip portion 110 may separate from the remainder 116 of the wrapper 102 substantially coincident with the end of the drinking straw 104 or beyond the end of the drinking straw 104.

In use, the wrapper 102 may be opened by grasping the drinking straw 104 through the wrapper 102 and grasping the grip piece 112 through the grip portion 110 of the wrapper 102. In one optional embodiment, opposite forces are applied to the grip piece 112 and the drinking straw 104 along the longitudinal axis 108. The forces cause the grip portion 110 of the wrapper 102 to separate from the remainder 116 of the wrapper 102. In an optional embodiment including a perforation 114 along the wrapper 102, the wrapper 102 may rupture along the perforation 114. The drinking straw 104 is accessible (or exposed, depending on the optional embodiment), through the rupture in the wrapper 102 created by the forces applied to the drinking straw 104 and the grip piece 112. It should be noted that in an optional embodiment, a wrapper 102 may be configured (optionally through a perforation 114) to be ruptured through forces other than longitudinal forces. For example, in an optional embodiment, a wrapper 102 may be configured so that a longitudinal force or a bending force applied between the drinking straw 104 and the grip piece 112 cause the wrapper 102 to rupture. That is, it is contemplated that the configuration of the wrapper 102, the grip piece 112, and the drinking straw 104 may permit application of any of a variety of different forces to rupture the wrapper 102 in addition to, or in place of, longitudinal forces.

While certain embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described it is to be understood that the present invention is subject to many modifications and changes without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims presented herein. 

I claim:
 1. A cover for a drinking straw having a straw length, comprising: a wrapper substantially enclosing said drinking straw, wherein the length of said wrapper is greater than said straw length to produce a grip portion of said wrapper; and a grip piece associated with said grip portion of said wrapper such that said grip piece and said grip portion of said wrapper are substantially coincident, wherein said grip piece is separable from said drinking straw such that force applied to separate said grip piece from said drinking straw causes said wrapper to rupture.
 2. The cover of claim 1 wherein said grip piece is inside said grip portion of said wrapper.
 3. The cover of claim 1 wherein said grip piece is outside said grip portion of said wrapper.
 4. The cover of claim 1 wherein said grip piece is integrally formed with said grip portion of said wrapper.
 5. The cover of claim 1 wherein said wrapper includes perforations.
 6. A cover for a drinking straw having a straw length along a longitudinal axis, comprising: a wrapper substantially enclosing said drinking straw, wherein the length of said wrapper is greater than said straw length to produce a grip portion of said wrapper, and wherein said wrapper includes perforations; and a grip piece inside said grip portion of said wrapper such that said grip piece and said grip portion of said wrapper are substantially coincident, wherein said grip piece is separable from said drinking straw such that force applied in opposite directions along said longitudinal axis to separate said grip piece from said drinking straw causes said wrapper to rupture at said perforations.
 7. The cover of claim 6 wherein said wrapper includes perforations.
 8. A cover for a drinking straw having a straw length along a longitudinal axis, comprising: a wrapper substantially enclosing said drinking straw, wherein the length of said wrapper is greater than said straw length to produce a grip portion of said wrapper, and wherein said wrapper includes perforations; and a grip piece integrally formed with said grip portion of said wrapper such that said grip piece and said grip portion of said wrapper are substantially coincident, wherein said grip piece is separable from said drinking straw such that force applied in opposite directions along said longitudinal axis to separate said grip piece from said drinking straw causes said wrapper to rupture at said perforations.
 9. The cover of claim 8 wherein said wrapper includes perforations. 